Today, the Modern Language Association2announced a new partnership starting fall 2012 with Interfolio, arguing that this new system will offer advantages to job applicants, hiring departments, and those who write letters of recommendation:

Anyone applying for a job through the MLA’s Job Information List will be able to create a free Interfolio account (rather than pay the usual $19 annual charge) and send their application materials electronically to the hiring department who placed the job advertisement; each dossier sent will cost the applicant no more than $6.00, regardless of the number of documents included;

Hiring departments “will be able to use Interfolio’s suite of online search-management tools, called ByCommittee. ByCommittee provides a single secure Web interface for departments to manage search-committee memberships for multiple searches and to receive candidate applications, dossiers, and other materials”;

Those who write letters of recommendation will be able to submit their letters directly–and confidentially–to Interfolio, and the job applicant will then take responsibility for having the letters sent to the hiring departments.

Details about this partnership may be found on the MLA website. Also useful,

How about you? Have you used Interfolio or a similar document management service? Do you have any questions about doing so? What have you found to be the most effective strategies for managing your dossier on the job market? Conversely, what have you found to be the most effective strategies when soliciting applications for a job at your institution? Let’s hear from you in the comments!

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Amy Cavender is a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, and Associate Professor of Political Science and interim Director of the Center for Academic Innovation at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana.